Pedrosa: “This track has a bit of everything”

Dani Pedrosa aims for a return to the podium in the physical Shell Malaysia Motorcycle Grand Prix where setup will be critical.

Phillip Island was a somewhat disappointing result for Dani Pedrosa after his incredible victory in the Japanese GP, the Repsol Honda rider ending the race in a lonely fifth. This saw Pedrosa miss out on the titanic clash at the front, but did award him critical championship points and lift him to fifth in the MotoGP™ World Championship standings. Pedrosa is eager to continue his strong end to the year in Sepang and is aiming for a podium finish. With the majority of MotoGP™ winter testing taking place in Sepang, riders and teams are very familiar with the track and come to the weekend with a basic setup to work from. However, the Sepang circuit is much greasier this time of year and dramatic rain showers during the weekend can throw up unexpected surprises.

The Malaysian circuit offers a unique blend of fast and slow corners as well as two long straights and is held in the most demanding weather conditions riders will experience in the season. Pedrosa is now fully recovered from his arm pump surgery at the beginning of the year and fitness should not be an issue. Quickly finding a good setting on Friday will be critical with Sepang’s unpredictable weather, riders unsure of how many sessions may be wet or dry. Twice Pedrosa has stood on the top step of the podium at Sepang while in the premier class, in 2012 and 2013, and has taken nine podiums there during his career.

Dani Pedrosa: “I’m reasonably happy with the result in Phillip Island but now we are on our way to Sepang and hoping to step back on the podium. Obviously we all know this track very well from the testing we do there each year, and understand how physically demanding it is due to the intense weather. This track has a bit of everything - fast and slow corners, hard braking and long straights - so it will be important to get a good setup to give ourselves the best chance come Sunday."